Introduction

Why be concerned?

Supplier progress

Potential impacts

Functional groups

Substance list

Legislation / REACH

FAQs

Related Links

Wash with care

Environmental assessment of laundry detergents

Classification and labelling

A key Regulation regarding the assessment, classification and labelling of chemical preparations in Europe is the:

 

Directive 1999/45/ EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 1999, concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations.

Amended by:

Commission Directive 2001/60/EC of 7 August 2001 adapting to technical progress Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations 

The Directives are described in more detail at: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l21273.htm, where links to the full documents can also be found.

These Directives specify the required assessments which must be conducted to assess the potentially dangerous properties of chemicals, and determine how to express potential effects as ‘risk phrases’ on the labelling of packaging/containers.

The risk phrases are to be classified for each chemical or preparation either by official classification or by suppliers’ ‘self-classification’.

Examples of risk phrases relevant to detergents are listed below:

R40 (limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect)

R45 (may cause cancer)

R46 (may cause hereditary genetic damage)

R49 (may cause cancer by inhalation)

R50-53 (very toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment)

R51-53 (toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment)

R59 (dangerous to the ozone layer)

R60 (may impair fertility)

R61 (may cause harm to the unborn child)

R62 (possible risk of impaired fertility)

R63 (possible risk of harm to the unborn child)

R64 (may cause harm to breastfed babies)

R68 (possible risks of irreversible effects)

Some of the risk classifications include a requirement for ‘risk labels’ (see illustrations right). For example, if the product has to be labelled with the risk phrases R50-53 or R51-53, then the risk label for potential environmental damage (N) must be shown on the container.

You will find additional information about the classification of potential environmental impacts on the page ‘Classification of aquatic environmental impacts’.

The legislation:

Classification

Safety Data Sheets

Specific to detergents

Eco-labelling

REACH

 

X

Harmful to health or skin

T

Toxic

C

Corrosive

N

Harmful to nature

Risk labels:

GHS

The Globally Harmonised System for the classification and labelling of chemicals replaced the European system for classification and labelling during 2007.

 

Basically it works in the same way, but the risk phrases are defined slightly differently and will use new pictograms.

 

GHS combines the classification systems from the USA, Canada and the EU with the UN Regulation for the transportation of dangerous goods.

 

Find more information here.